Debate Life

Yahh.

When I came here to the USA, I was expecting my school to have a debate club, with some random weird people who are freakily freak with the hobby of messing up in debate competitions; just like my debate club in my school in Indonesia. I brought my debate "bibel" : Pros & Cons : a Debater handbook :p, with the assumption I'll develop my debate skill during my stay.

Apparently there isn't one in Dublin Scioto High School.

Well, there is Junior State of America (JSA). Some people said that JSA is kind of a debate club. But I was super busy because of marching band and stuffs, so I never come to their meeting so far. I couldn't. 

I was super disappointed, because I knew, I was stupid enough already thus I realize that I'll get dumber if I don't practice debate for the whole year. Debate was my life. I used to debate almost everyday, abandon "all-kind-of-stuffs-a-student-should-do" and made my mom freakin out. 

I thought I'd just die if I don't debate.

I THOUGHT so.

Not really.

Well, it's been 6 months and I'm apparently alive. My school actually has a class called Argumentation & Debate, but students can only take that class in 2nd semester. I'm currently taking that class. Well actually we haven't really done anything on the class, just some discussions and talks. During those sessions, I realize there is a huge degradation of my brain. I can't make rebuttals as fast as I could back there after ALSA. And that makes me frustrated.

Life is not all about debate.

Well yea I know that. But it's just I was really into it and it just can't be helped. I'm scared. People are expecting me to be at least a "better" debater when I come back home. But whatever. My life has changed since I came. If it was all about debate before, now it's full of music. Yep, I go to E-Pod (music classrooms) three times a day, or maybe four times. I go there on the 3rd period for my Music theory, on the 5th period for band, and 8th period for orchestra. On Monday and Wednesday I have percussion ensemble practice.

It's not that I don't like music. I love music. Now I'm even considering myself to take music as a major in college. But still, it's just I feel some parts are missing. I miss my "normal" debate life.

There's nothing I can do. I just hope my debate class will be "fine", at least so then i can catch up with those freaks in Indonesia. 

Obama

Please check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvFSUYj9NPI&fe ature=channel !

In Memoriam NOT

It is indeed scary to be alone. It really is a fear not to have friend. But one thing that is worse: the feeling of worried to be betrayed and left by people whom you were used to be together with. 

well.  

It's true that I was the one who left. I was fully understand about what I'm doing and why did I do that, but I wasn't betraying. It was just I have to go. I know this will happen. Bonds never last forever. People will be dispersed all over, and live their own life. Yes, friendship is beautiful but it doesn't last forever.  

However, giving up is not a choice. I AM a part of them, or at least I was. I know they are gonna change, but I do change too. I know it's gonna be a new challenge to be treated as an outsider again after all these things, but I can't stand just to stare enviously to them. 

Yep, so I'll be back, and once again, be a part of them; practice, study, and have fun with them. Just like what we used to do before I left.  

You can't expect the world to wait for you. YOU catch up with the world.  

I guess once again you're right, Grandmaster. Thanks :) *desperate 3rd speaker NOT*

Kehidupan "Musik" gw (halah)

Hmm hmm.

Jadii sejak pertama dateng, tepatnya di hari kedua gw di OH, gw langsung di"lempar" ke band camp. Karna hostsister gw anak band jadi otomatis gw jadi anak band jugaa. main marimba. It turns out gw jadi cinta mampus sama marimba! hahaa.. Sekarang posisi gw di symphonic band, percussionist, dengan tuntutan harus bisa main semua instrumen perkusi T.T Yaa habisnya mau gimana lagii, gw ga bisa mainin woodwind atau brass instrument kann. Jadi stuck di percussion dehh, Walopun kesisninya jadi rame juga :)

Itu yang pertama.

Terus masih ada lagi kelas gw 3rd period judulnya Music Theory. gw kira kelas apaan tu, taunya kelas composing & arranging song gitu lahh. Standar music college. Pertamanya ngebahas teori dulu kann. Gampang2 gitu. makin ke sini makin susahh and sekarang Music theory 100x lebih susah daripada kelas Calculus gw. Tapi di kelas ini gw menemukan banyak banget fact yang sadly I didnt know before. keren abis lah Music Theory :)

terus terus.

Percussion ensemble. Dari namanya juga udah ketauan yaa. Ini khusus buat orang2 yang berminat main instrumen perkusi. yah buat gw mah sekalian lebih mendalami keyboards : marimba, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone. Konser baru sekali nihh, pas sebelum natal. Mainin lagu2 natal gitu lahh :)

lalu lalu.

Orchestra. gw baru ngambil orkestra pas semester kedua soalnya pas semester pertama gw ga punya biola. Si hostfam gw nyewain gw biola buat hadiah ulangtaun gitu kann. Lucunya, guru orchestra, band, sama music theory tu sama : Mr. gray! Ahahaaa... Gw terpaksa ketemu dia 3x sehari dehh :p JK! Mr gray asik banget ngajarnyaa ;)

Nahh. Tapi2.

gw ga pernah tau kalo si Mr. Gray ini maniak sight reading!!

FYI, gw PARAH ABIS kalo disuruh sight reading. kalo di keyboard sih lumayan ya. Tapi biola tuh instrumen gw yang paling baru dan yahh,, kacau lah sight reading gw (silakan tanya Afifa Ayu untuk konfirmasi). jadii, gw baru main di orkestra 2 hari dan kita udah sightread 3 lagu KLASIK. Mampus gw. Apalagi lagunya si Shostakovich, Symphony no 5 Finale! udah mau nangis gw ngeliatnya juga. Padahal gw 2nd violin.

I HATE SIGHT READING.

But "hate" does NOT mean I can't do that.

Jadilahh, hidup gw dulu yang didominasi debate tiap hari, sekarang switch jadi music tiap hari.. I'm kinda missing my old debate world tapi yaa mau gimana lagii. My argumentation & debate class has just started dan gw harap kelas itu memenuhi ekspektasi gw.


Smangatt! 5 more months left, dan gw gamau pulang dengan regret :)

School X(

Nah.

To make it short,,

In both Indonesia and USA, there are apparently some days of school off for students (yea sure. If there isn't the suicide rate will be increasing every year :p)

That is the same part. And now the BIG difference is, the total amount of the holiday the students have.

How many day off do we Indonesian students have at most? 2 weeks? 3 weeks? Sure. No more than a month. Never.

And here in the USA, every single year, students in all grade have approximately three, THREE FREAKING MONTHS of school off during summer break.

So WHERE IS THE JUSTIFICATION, LADIES AND GENTS?


*just a small note from a frustrated exchange student who is mad because apparently she has to go back home to her country right at the beginning of the summer break :p *

If I'm not an Exchange Student

Hmm. Let's see.

If I'm not an exchange student, I will be graduated this year, 2009.

If I'm not an exchange student, I don't have to do my senior year in Indonesia when my friends are already in the college.

If I'm not an exchange student, I don't have to spend my time crying on the first month.

If I'm not an exchange student, I won't be desperately missing debate so much.

If I'm not an exchange student, I won't leave my best friends.

If I'm not an exchange student, I will just be happy being at my home with my beloved family.

If I'm not an exchange student, I can play my violin, guitar, and keyboard everyday.

If I'm not an exchange student, I don't have to make my family worries about me everyday.

If I'm not an exchange student, I don't have to be freezing everyday.

If I'm not an exchange student, I can fight with my sister everytime I want.

BUT

If I'm not an exchange student, I'm not gonna meet my wonderful hostfamily and host sisters, Emma, Mukee, Zena, Hannah, Liz, Sabrina, mom & Bill.

If I'm not an exchange student, I won't be a part of the best-pit-ever of Dublin Scioto Marching Band : Mick, Hailey, Katherine, Jack, Jason, Olivia, Sean, Stephanie, CA.

If I'm not an exchange student, I won't able to play marimba, snare, and percussion instruments.

If I'm not an exchange student, I won't be in Music Theory class and I won't know about these all things I learned in theory with Mr Gray.

If I'm not an exchange student, I'm not gonna care as much about my country.

If I'm not an exchange student, I'm not gonna learn how to appreciate everything in my life : family, friends, all the time I spent together with them.

If I'm not an exchange student, Mick won't teach me about "those-all-words" and when to use them.

If I'm not an exchange student, I'm just gonna be a spoiled selfish girl forever.

If I'm not an exchange student, I can't make my parents as proud as they are now.

If I'm not an exchange student, I won't able to eat vegetables.

If I'm not an exchange student, I won't see snow.

If I'm not an exchange student, I'm not gonna study for this semester exam. I don't actually care about it. However well I do all the exams, I still have to do my senior year when I get back to my country. The thing is: I AM AN EXCHANGE STUDENT. Everything I do represent my country. I can't bear if people think all Indonesian are stupid just because I don't study and then fail my exams. I just can't.

Another this is : JUST SHUT THE H*LL UP AND STUDY FOR YOUR EXAM!!!!

*sedang gila*

Semester Exam

Well well, I'm a loser.

I'm supposed to freaking study but I just can't help. Since this laptop came to my hand, I could barely study. Hoho... I know that's totally my own fault but once again, I just can't help.

Just like now.

I'm supposed to study Calculus for tomorrow's exam :p

Actually, I'm not really in the mood to, so I'm just gonna write about semester exam in American school.

We have 2 exams for each day. The first day, we have 7th and 1st period class (which are Public Speaking and Systems of the Earth for me) exam. Second day we have 2nd and 3rd period class exam (calculus and Music Theory).  On the 3rd day we have 4th & 5th period class (AP US Government & Band), and on the 4th day (which is the last day), we have 6th and 8th period class (I have Advanced ESL in 6th period and Study Hall for 8th period). 

Today is the first day of the exam.

And I went to school with Emily, my friend next door, because Emma and Mukee both don't have any test for 7th period so they can come late to school for their 1 st period exam. For my Public Speaking class, we have to give awards to our friend in the same class, and give impromptu speech for accepting the award. It was pretty fun. We just made up some weird and random award like the Most-Non-Racist-Student, the Most-Pessimistic, the Most-Asian, etc etc. I got the Most-Influential award from Josh, which is pretty good. I mean, it's not that hard for me to talk about the award :p So today is the last day for Public Speaking class, because Public Speaking is a semester class. For next semester I'm taking Argumentation & Debate class. I like being in this Public Speaking class, although there were too many theories and researches, but I just like the people here..

Next test I had was Systems of the earth. We had 135 freaking questions that we need to answer.  But they weren't as hard as I thought. Here is the thing about exam in American school: in most of the class, the teacher usually gave you a small piece of paper and you can write ANYTHING on it. Yep. ANYTHING. It's like "kertas contekan" in Indonesia (ya know what I mean) but in here, it is legal as long as the teacher gave consent. Like in this Systems of the earth class. We can write anything on that sheet Mr. Watkins gave us, and that really makes life more easy. Hahaa...

Tomorrow I have Calculus exam. That class is so damn easy if compared to my damn math class in Indonesia. As well as Systems of the earth class, we are allowed to write formula, examples etc in a small piece of paper. So basically, I'm ready. I have my note already. After Calculus, I have Music Theory exam. We can't have "kertas contekan" for this class obviously. We're gonna have a test on ear training, which is really freakin hard. I hope I'm not gonna fail this class (I have A so far), and we're going to start composing our own song in the beginning of 2nd semester, I guess...

On the 3rd day I have AP US Government exam! This is,, once again, my HARDEST CLASS. I still need to do that review sheet to get extra credit. It's a "DUH". Darn. I like the teacher of this class, but it's just still hard, even for Americans. After that I'll be having Band exam! Emma said usually bandies don't have any exam, but since our teacher for Symphonic Band is Mr. Chesser, he's going to give us test : we have to play certain part on the new song, and we have to do rythmic dictation. As for me, percussionist,, I have to play 2 different parts of 2 different instruments: bells, and snare drum. I have no problem with bells, and although I had learn the basic of snare, I just don't like snare. So,I'll just try as hard not to fail *pathetic :(

The last day of exam, I just have ESL test. I have study hall on 8th period so I can just go home. Actually after ESL Kelly and I are gonna go to IHOP to eat pancakes, celebrating the end of this exam week. We have shool off on Friday so it helps, but I still have to go to school at 6 PM to play for pep band. And we have Monday off too X)

Looking forward to PASS THIS DAMN WEEK.

Cheers.

Christmas and My Birthday

Well well. Ini postingan sangat2 telat tapi yasudahlah ya.

Karna rumah hostfam gw masih berantakan pas tanggal 25 alias pas hari H nya Christmas, jadi kita ber-Christmas-ria-nya telat,, jadi diundur ampe tanggal 31 (rumah gw lagi dipasang lantai baru jadi rusuh gitu lahh..). Pas tanggal 25, kita pergi ke rumah orangtuanya hostdad gw buat Christmas dinner. (Orangtuanya hostdad gw. Jadi statusnya hostgrandpa & hostgrandma gw? Asa aneh. Teuing ah :p) Mereka juga yang ngebawa gw & Mukee ke gereja semalem sebelumnya, soalnya keluarga gw ga beragama gitu. Kacau lahh.. Well, yaudah deh. Makan2 aja di sana. Terus bagi2 Christmas presents dehh. Gw sama Mukee juga dikasihh! Si hadiah2nya itu dimasukin ke "kaos kaki" super gede, biasa lah ciri khas Natal. Isinya : kaos 2, slipper, scrapbook, buku, etc etc. Hehee... Siangnya pas Christmas, ga ngapa2in. Di tengah "semangat" winter break, gw baca novel, ngerjain PR, tidur siang, makan, tidur, makan. Gitu we. Ga ada yang special siangnya mah. Mana salju ga turun pula! I was expecting a damn White Christmas but it was not, apparently :(

Lanjut.

Tanggal 28.. Ga ngapa2in. Cuman malemnya ngehias Christmas tree!!

Nahh.

Tanggal 29. My 17th birthday.

Paginya gw bangun siang (lah?). Terus turun nyari makan sama mau make telpon buat nelpon mama, papa, Adla sama Azel. Tiba2 ada yang teriak ngagetin "Happy Birthdayy!!" yang ternyata adalah mom and Bill (FYI, tu nama hostdad gw. Gw manggil dia "Bill" soalnya Emma hostsister gw yang seumur manggil dia nama doang. Emma tu anak tirinya Bill soalnya mom cerai sama ayahnya Emma. Gara2 si Emma jadi we gw sama Mukee manggil hostdad kita "Bill". hahaaa... FYI yang ga penting). And it turned up mom & Bill teriak "Happy Birthday!" ke gw tiap 1 jam sekali selama hari itu :p Gw nelpon keluarga gw di Indonesia lamaaaa banget. 1 stengah jam ampe 2 jam-an gitu kali ya. Udah gitu gw ber-riweuh-ria pas Mukee, Zena, Hannah, Sabrina dan Liz ngucapin selamat ulang taun. halahh.

Mom nanya di mana gw mau have dinner. Ya gw bilang aja gw pengen ke Indonesian restaurant (pas Mukee ulangtaun, kita ke restoran Thailand). Berangkat deh kita tanpa Emma (soalnya Emma di Pittsburg lagi ke rumah ayahnya) ke Taste of Bali, restoran Indonesia di deket Walmart. Pas parkir di sana taunya kita dapet ZONK. RESTORANNYA TUTUP!!! Hahaahaaa... terima kasih sekalii... Di hari gw genap berumur 17 tahun dimana gw udah membayangkan mau makan opor, rendang, masakan2 Indonesia lain, bisa2nya si restoran ini tutup!! yah,, it can't be helped. Setelah upaya sia2 Bill ngegedor2 pintu restoran, jadinya kita cari tempat makan lain dehh. Gw yang nentuin. Karna gw kangen sama nasi, ya gw bilang aja mending ke restoran Cina. Pergilah kita ke sanaa... Pas baru masuk mom casually bilang gitu ke pelayannya kalo gw ulang taun. Pas kita lagi di tengah2 menikmati makanan, tiba2 some random waiter & waitress ngedatengin gw sambil ngebawa beberapa potong kue plus lilin. Dan gw baru nyadar lagu2 Cina yang dipasang udah diganti sama lagu Happy Birthday. Si pelayan2 ini, plus Zena dan hannah juga, nyanyi happy Birthday buat gw. Diliatin orang2! Maluu...

Selesai makan, hostmom gw ngasih gw kado. Yang pertama, selimut listrik gitu. Honestly biasa aja sihh. I mean, cuman selimut gituhh.. Yang keduaa.. JENG JENG. Biola!! Tapi ga beli sih,, hostfam gw nyewain biola gitu buat gw soalnya mereka denger gw kangen sama Petroushka (itu nama biola gw di Indonesia). Ahahaa... Alhamdulillah banget. Timingnya pas. Di kelas Music Theory gw harus meng-compose lagu dan gw udah memutuskan untuk bikin lagu buat string quartet, in which at least gw harus punya biola buat bikin lagunya. Hahaa.. Ditambah lagi Mukee juga ngasih gw pernak pernik dari Thailand gituu :)

Dari restoran Cina, kita pulang. terus rencananya mau pergi lagi, mau nonton film ke bioskop (tapi ga jadi soalnya pada males. Heu). Di rumah, orangtuanya Bill udah nunggu kita. Mereka ngasih gw hadiah jugaa, sweater. Gw sama Mukee sama Zena stay up late,  berusaha bikin video bodor buat dimasukin ke Youtube ;)

Tanggal 30nya biasa aja. Emma pulang. Malemnya kita ke bioskop nonton Cihuahua..

Tanggal 31.

Gw dan Mukee dibangunkan oleh suara orang ngegedor2 pintu kamar sambil bilang "HO HO HO HO".

SANTA!!!!

Ngga lah ya.

Yaudah terpaksa deh bangun. Cuci muka, gosok gigi (FYI, orang2 di sini mandinya malem, jadi paginya ga mandi lagi. Tadinya gw, yang biasanya di Indonesia mandi minimal 2 kali sehari, jiji banget sama kebiasaan ini. Tapi lama2 jadi biasa dan ngikutin jugaa :p) terus disuruh Bill nunggu di tangga, jangan turun dulu. Pas udah dikasih aba2, baru kita turun semua. Ke family room. terus pas gw ngeliat ke sofa..

Ada Santa!!!

Santanya naro hadiah di bawa christmas tree trus ketiduran di sofa!!!!

Ummm.... Probably not.

Si random Santa ini (sok2) bangun terus bilang "Ho HO HO!! Merry Christmas!!" ke hannah & Sabrina yang bengong.

"Hey, that's Emma!"

Itu kata Sabrina.

hahahaa.. Apparently yes. Si Emma sok2 jadi santa gituhh. Gila gw ngakak guling2an! Huahahaa... Bodor abis. Udah gitu kita disuruh keliling terus nyari "kaos kaki" kita (mom ngebeliin kaos kaki buat gw & Mukee, with our name on it!). Dan ketemulah si "spot" gw dan Mukee. Dengan hadaih2 buat kita di sana, tepatnya di sofa di deket fireplace. Tapi kok...??

Halah.

Ada 2 laptop di sofa yang ini. Yang satu di deket kaos kaki betuliskan nama gw, yang satu lagi dispotnya Mukee...

TA TAAAA!!

Gw ngeliat ke "spot"nya hadiah buat Emma. Ada 1 laptop juga di sana.

Jadi jadii.

Kami dapet laptop masing2 1! Hahaa... Bukan cuman itu. Di dalm si kaos kaki ada berbagai macam coklat! Sama di samping laptop ada hiasan Santa gitu jugaa. Ditambah lagi hadiah2 di bawah christmas tree yang belum gw buka. Gw dapet pjamas, Ohio State sweat shirt, gloves, scarfs, sama hiasan dari kaca yang gambarnya Cinderella's castle dari Disney. Dan "trip to Disney" juga ter-include sebagai hadiah natal. So, mulai sekarang gw bisa OL semau2 gw. Hehehee...

Jadi begitulahh. Pengalaman natal pertama (dan terakhir) gw. Oia, pas tanggal 31 salju turun! White Christmas dehh ;)